Bilbo's Baby
by Mentathial
Summary: Bilbo Baggins' life changes when he finds an elf baby in the woods near the Shire and adopts her as his own but when the time for the quest come how will the exiled King Under The Mountain react to an elf joining the quest, will the Grey wizard convince him and what is up with the dark haired archer who can't stop seeking glances at Bilbo's daughter Tauriel?
1. Chapter 1- An elf baby

A/N- I am sorry for not updating all my others stories and I promise I will update them all but I am just in love with the hobbit fandom especially Killel! So I have never seen this idea before and want to try it- Tauriel as an elf babe was left in the woods and adopted by a thirty something the company comes and that's when the love story starts, also this might be Thilbo, and I really want to see Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror's reaction when he realizes that the buglar cannot leave without his elf daughter and f course Gandalf. So I tried to search for dwarf and hobbit and elf age equivalents and from what I got, Kili is probably 29 at the time of the quest in human years and thinking of Arwen and from what I have read I think, elves develop faster than humans till the age of three, where humans kind of race ahead while they have a luxurious childhood and then they turn twenty and become still or something. So this might not be totally correct and characters might eb OC and I apologize for canon divergence but I have made it that since elves race ahead till they are three and all, sixteen year old Tauriel mentally can be the equivalent of a twenty something human and has begun to still. Thanks for reading and please review if you can!

Chapter One- The Elf Tyke

Bilbo Baggins was walking through the woods near the Shire, it was the Elvish New Year and he hoped to catch sight of the beautiful, wise and majestic creatures, he had spent half his childhood looking for. The dirt was refreshing under his hairy toes and his brown curls were hidden under a hat. He had to look proper if he saw the elves!

Singing softly, Bilbo made his way further in the woods, far enough that the Shire was just a tiny dot in the distance, his heart beat faster, this was the maximum distance he had ever put between himself and the Shire, ever but somehow he could not regret it. The elves never passed by close to the hobbit homes but they all knew they crossed the border, so the woods were the most likely source, Bilbo Baggins would ever them. He was brought of his musings by a cry, it sounded like a baby!

Rushing towards the sound, Bilbo Baggins found himself in a thick wooded area. Alone. With no baby to make that screaming sound which was so loud and clear and seemed to be coming,

"From that log!"

Bilbo exclaimed as he rushed towards the log and peered inside. His sharp hobbit eyes could make out a bundle in the darkness and terrified that it might be a wild animal, Bilbo pulled it out and lo! It was no animal but a baby elf!

As he rocked the child, one hand in her red curls (he assumed it was a girl due to the frock it was wearing), it looked up at Bilbo with the greenest eyes he had ever seen and softly reached up a hand to his cheek. Smiling, Bilbo caught hold of the young ones hand before frowning.

What was an elf babe doing in the woods? Who had left her here and why? Looking at the infant in his arms, the thirty-five year old knew he could not leave this child be and getting up to go home, his eyes fell on the piece of paper , a letter, stuck on the child's blanket.

Opening it, he was surprised to find it written in the comma tongue than in the language of elves.

 _To whoever finds her,_

 _Please take care of her; I am being pursued by orcs ad I know I won't be able to make it any longer. She is just a few hours old now and I hate to leave her alone but this is the only way to save her. Don't come looking for me and keep her hidden, if you can._

Shocked, Bilbo turned the paper but apart from a few drops of blood there was nothing there. Sighing, he picked up the now sleeping child, who he supposed had been in the forest for less than a day and began to walk home. He had finally met an elf but this was certainly not the way he thought it would be.

"Mr. Bilbo?" his gardener Hobson asked him from where he was pulling weeds, as he reached bag End after a while, the gaze of the entire Shire on him.

"Hello Hobson. I am just returning from the woods, I had goe to see if I can find some elves," Bilbo replied smiling as he made to step inside his hobbit hole- Bag End, a beautiful home his father Bungo had gifted his mother Belladona on their weeding.

"Mr. Bilbo? What is that baby in your arms master?" the gardener asked the questions, the entire Shire was dying to know and Bilbo sighed, as he pulled the cloth over the child as if to hide it from view.

"This is a baby elf I found in the woods Hobson," he replied slowly ad continued before the words could properly sink in and the gasps begin, "it is an orphan and it would not be proper or seemly of a Baggins to leave a babe to the danger of the woods, now would it be?" he finished and escaped into his house, shutting the green door behind him, ignoring the fact that it was not very proper of a hobbit to adopt an elf either. Oh well, the lesser of the two evils, Bilbo reasoned and any case he did so like elves and children and he knew he would never be able to have any, with things being what they were. At least now, Bag End would have a child too run around in it, though he had no idea at all on how to bring up an elf.

Before he could think further about the position he was now in, however, the silence was broken as the infant began to cry once again Reasoning that it might be hungry, Bilbo hurried to one of his many pantries, before stopping, what would he feed a baby?

"Well, I have heard that hobbit tykes have milk, so maybe I should start with that and maybe add some strawberries to it? I remember reading in that book about elves, that they do like strawberries," he thought aloud before rushing to prepare some milk for the baby and resolving to go see one of the families in Bag Shot row that had children, though how many of them would be willing to now let him in was another matter entirely.

"There you go," Bilbo cooed as he held cup that he found in his Mother's hundred year old pottery and knew was used for hobbit tykes to the babe's lips and smiled when he saw her gobbling it up.

"Poor thing, I wonder how long were you in that miserable forest, hungry and alone?" Bilbo shuddered, thinking of being hungry; it was after all a hobbit's worst nightmare. A being that had almost seven meals a day could not fathom what this child, only a wee baby, must have felt alone in the dark o a hungry belly. Why hobbit tykes were fed almost every hour!

"Now, now, what shall I call you?" Bilbo asked the baby, as he rocked her in his arms ad she looked up at him with wide green eyes that reminded him of the forest he had found her in.

"Hmmm, it must have something to do with a forest huh? To bring out those pretty eyes and the fact that you managed to survive in a dark big forest alone for hours as a tyke, my little warrior?" Bilbo cooed at the baby, already forming a deep attachment to the child despite still entertaining the thought of finding some elves that he could give the baby to, but then, he decided as he looked at the child, he did not know where to find the elves and he quite liked the child. He would give it the best he could but would that be enough? Bilbo sighed, for now, it would have to be, also the letter had asked for her to be hidden and what better place to hide than the forgotten town of the hobbits where no one ever came?

"And where she would stick out like a sore thumb," a voice whispered in his brain but he shut it down. This babe was his child now and he would protect it with all he had and that was the wow of a Baggins and a Took, a vow that would never be broken.

"Now to decide on a name for you," he told the babe as it fell asleep in his arms, "and to buy baby things," he decided as he got up from his seat on his armchair by the fire and made to walk out, his daughter firmly set on his hip.

Opening the door, he came face to face with his gardener and his wife, their hands raised to ring the bell and he smiled before stepping aside to let them enter his smail.

"Mr. Bilbo," the Hobson began, "are you sure it is a good idea to take in an elf babe?"

"Hobson, while I understand your reasoning, do you really expect me to leave a child, an infant alone in the woods? It would be the most improper! What would my dead parents say? Do we hobbits not protect children? What would you say if an elf found your Hamfast alone in woods, lost and probably far from home with no one left to his name? Would you not want them to protect your child? Hobson, I love this child as my own, even if we have been together for a few hours and I do not think any Took or even a Bagginss or any hobbit would leave a child to die," Bilbo explained ad the gardener began to nod when his son's name was mentioned. After all, which parent would want his son to die and if one parent can understand it than sometimes so can every other parent and hobbits by nature are a sensible lot.

"That is what I have been telling him Mr. Bilbo sir! How can you leave a child to die? Now, sir, though it is not my place to say this but you have no experience in taking care of babies ad you will need a great many things."

"Yes Mrs. Gamgee, that is precisely the reason I was just going to come see you, you have a few tykes yourself and are in my eye, the best mother in all of the Shire, raising proper little hobbits," Bilbo said, while most of it was true, he did not feel bad that he was flattering the woman a little and, if her blush was anything to go by, succeeding.

"Oh Mr. Bilbo sir, you are too kind," she said while simultaneously taking the baby from his arms and rocking her a little as she looked at the thin face.

"We need to fatten her up, why when my Hamfast was born, he was at least twice, if not thrice her weight, poor thing to be hungry in the forest," the woman said with a shudder before looking up at Bilbo.

"Mr. Bilbo, what have you decided to name her, master? Or was she found with a name?"

"No, Mrs. Gamgee, I plan to name her, but have yet not decided, I want to follow the hobbit tradition and name her after a flower, like yourself, but I also want her name to have an elvish touch," he said and added hastily before the scowl on the woman's face could take hold, "so that she remembers that despite being a hobbit, she is an elf too."

"Well, I think it is about right," Hobson said slowly before his wife took over again.

"Well, first thing, Mr. Bilbo, you have to get is tyke food and then a crib for the baby. My Hamfast, just outgrew his, you can borrow ours till you find one for the babe and you need baby clothes too. I believe the Proudfoots are soon holding a sell for the clothes their tyke Lily has outgrown, maybe you can buy some then? Oh and you need something to carry her in, a nice cradle, maybe pink in colour," the lady continued almost as if she was speaking to herself. Like all hobbit women, she was fat, something she was extremely proud of, had dark curls reaching her waist and bare foot but now she looked almost scholarly to Bilbo, who had not known this much went into taking care of a child.

"Oh and you need to get her the family lockets Mr. Bilbo, but what clan she be in and will the Thain let you keep her?" the woman asked, bringing another of Bilbo's worries to surface. What clan indeed?

"Well, I will legally adopt her as a Baggins of Bag End and should cousin Fontibras, the Thain agree, she can also be a part of my mother's clan The Tooks, as any child I would have had should be. Well, the Mrs. Gamgee, I must be off, loads to do and I would be extremely grateful Hobson, of you could get me the crib your wife spoke of," Bilbo said as the three of them exited the hole. Bilbo made for the market where he ordered a good many things, include loads of food for himself and his daughter and for the feast, he supposed the Thain would want him to hold in honour of the newborn. After all nothing got the hobbits to agree faster than food and it was tradition to celebrate babes by feasting on their birthdays. Now he did not know his little girl's birthday but the day she would become legally his should suffice, should it not?

A few hours later, as the sun was setting, Bilbo Baggins could be seen on a pony cart, on his way to the Great Smials, where his mother's people The Tooks lived, not as respectable as the Baggins but wild and adventurous and Bilbo had no doubt that his cousin would accept his little girl, a girl he had yet to find a name for.

"Cousin Bilbo!"

"Bilbo, my boy!"

Shouts greeted him, as he got down at the Great Smials and made his way inside his cousin's home that he had not visited since his mother had died, making sure he got here during the Fell Winter. This was the place he had lost his father, a mere tween, who had passed before the flowers of spring could bloom, he had fought a long battle against death after an orc had hit him with a poisioned blade but lost it after he saw the first flower of Spring, it was here in the house of the Tooks that Bilbo had see corpses of both his parents, both of them lost to orcs and goblins.

Shaking his head clear of the memories, Bilbo looked forward to seeing his cousin with whom he had played a lot as a child and only once he gained admittance with the Thain, did he speak to all his cousins about the babe in his arms that all were staring wide eyes at.

"Cousin Bilbo, who is that babe? Is she yours? We were not aware that you had married?"All his cousins asked and he had to laugh listening to all of them clamor to be heard.

"Wait, wait, let me answer! No, I am not married," this was met with gasps and scandalized looks, even the wild Tooks knew the Hobbit laws against babies out of the wedlock.

'Cousin," Fontibras began but Bilbo raised a hand and continued, "and this an elf babe which I have decided to adopt," he said to finish the issued before it starts and then explained to them all about how he had found the child and all.

"Well, Cousin, if you are sure about this," Fontibras started.

"I am Fontibras, I am," Bilbo stated.

"Well, then, let us start the process to welcome the tyke into our family." This statement was met by cheering and only a few frowns from the older hobbits but none said a word against the Thain.

Drawing up a swift adoption paper, Fontibras frowned,

"Bilbo, have you decided what to name the babe? Or do you know her name, form the note? I need to put down a name on the papers Bilbo," Fontibras said and Bilbo sighed.

"I have not Cousin because I want the name to be special like her, half- elf and half-hobbit, like the person she will grow up to be, a Took name perhaps?"

"Well, if you want an elfish name, maybe you should see the books Uncle has left, while the ladies take care of your forest maiden," Fontibras said, referring to the nickname the younger kids had given the babe after hearing that she was found in the forest, like a princess one of them had said.

"Thank You, Fontibras," Bilbo said walking towards the library and stopping to smile at the babe surrounded by his younger cousins and their mothers.

Looking at the spines, he picked out a book of Elvis, a discreet branch of the language called Sindrian. It was the only book that had a reference to the common tongue and eagerly browsing, he stopped at the word Forest.

"Taur," he tried the word but it seemed incomplete and he began to look for something more, he wanted the child to have a four word name. It was different but it meant a lot to him, he had always wanted five children and Taur being the first should be graced with four names, two from her adopted family ad two elvish names. It only felt fair.

Thinking this, his eyes fell on the word "Tauriel" which translated to the daughter of the forest and he smiled, it was the perfect name for his forest maiden, his daughter of the forest. Well now at least he could get Tauriel Baggins written on the adoption papers but he still felt unsatisfied, his baby was a miracle ad her name should be different enough to honour her as the miracle she was.

"Hmmm, what about messenger? The forest messenger?" After all, Bilbo thought, if he remembered correct some cultures had different names to be told to people and different names for their loved ones, not nicknames but more like names of the soul and any case Tauriel was more like a honour name for the child, he had to get her two more names, one for her soul and one to go with her hour name, it was only fair and with that he began to search for the elvish word for messenger. If his knowledge of elvish was reliable, which he was sure it was, the word started with M. looking in that section, he smiled as he came across the perfect name for his baby girl Menthathiel, the messenger.

Now for her hobbit name, Bilbo thought.

"Well, I want her to have a flower name," he thought aloud, "but not a regular flower, something that is magical," he sighed and sat down to think.

"Lily is a good name," he thought, recalling a great something aunt of his who had that name and it was the name of main characters in many books too but Tauriel Methathiel Lily Baggins-Took, just did not have a ring to it. Maybe a version of Lily?

He thought hard on it and decided on Asphodel. It was magical and Tauriel Menthathiel Asphodel Baggins-Took sounded perfect to him, he just hoped she would like it took and with that he made his way to the Thain. It would be best for her to be his as fast as possible, there was no telling what his vile and distant as far as he was concerned cousins, the Sackvilles-Baggins would do when they heard about his little lily.

"Nice names Cousin, keeping up with both hobbit and elf traditions?" With that the Thain made a birth certificate for Tauriel Asphodel Baggins-Took, after all Menthathiel was her soul name and would be best if kept for her to disclose to whom she wanted and not put o public display in the mayor's office.

"Come on know my little lily," Bilbo said as he sang his daughter to sleep in one of the guest bedrooms.

"Hus darling baby,

Hush darling baby,

Close your eyes,

Let the stars shine,

Hush now hush,

Listen to the world,

Hush darling baby,

Hush darling baby,

Let the stars shine,

Look how they shine,

How bright, how beautiful,

And yet your flame,

Outshine even the starlight,

Hush darling baby,

Let the stars shine,

Hush darling baby,

Close your sweet eyes,

Hush, hush, hush, my darling,

Hush, my baby, hush my sweet lily."

Bilbo sighed as his daughter slept, his eyes roaming over her sweet face and hope that there would be no problems with anything, especially considering he had just reach his own maturity two years ago. Oh well, he would just take things as they went.


	2. Chapter 2- The Start of a Quest

A/N- Thanks for all the lovely reviews, favorites and follows!

Last time on Bilbo's Baby- Bilbo found an elf baby in the woods near the Shire and adopted her, giving her the name Tauriel. Asphodel Baggins.

Chapter Two- The Start of a Quest

 _"You what?"_

 _"An elf? In the Shire?"_

 _"Da, Da."_

 _"Why don't I have a Mummy like Hobson does, Da?"_

 _"That's Asphodel Baggins, Bilbo's daughter."_

 _"She is a fine hobbit lass but she wears shoes!"_

 _"Not a hobbit lass."_

 _"She is pretty."_

 _"Stay away from me!"_

 _"Tauriel, look a tree house!"_

 _"An adventure? Nasty things makes, Tauriel would you like to go?"_

Sixteen years is a long time, Bilbo Baggins realized as he sat on his garden bench blowing smoke rings. A long time had passed since he had adopted Tauriel as his own and it had not been an easy sixteen years, no. Hobbits are as a rule unchanging creatures until forced to change and the ones in the Shire were no different. Of course, everyone loved a baby and no one said a word against the Thain but that did not mean all were happy. Especially those blasted Sackville-Baggins, Bilbo thought as he recalled Lobeia's reaction to his girl.

 _"You what?" his "cousin" had asked sounding outraged and scandalized, standing in his precious garden while he stared at her from his porch. Honestly, did that woman think that she was above the Thain?_

 _"I demand to see the adoption papers. I do not believe that the Thain will let Bag End go to an elf!" She had hissed, for the sake of propriety once he had invited her inside and grumbled when she had seen all five witness signatures in red ink, below the Thain's signature and then grumbled some more, about how it was just not right and how the child should have been left in the forest for her kind to collect or die. She did not think Bilbo had heard but he had. Bilbo had never offered her tea again. Nor had his Took cousins, who were quite taken with their elf cousin. Unlike some of the other hobbits. They did not say anything, no but you could hear the whispers when Bilbo walked by, especially when Tauriel started to develop faster than hobbit children did._

 _Their gardener heard all sorts of talks for almost two years centering on "an elf? In our Shire? What next dwarves?" Ignoring it was easy for a hobbit like Bilbo but he always worried what effect it would have on his darling child. Fortunately he did not have to worry much, as Tauriel grew more hobbit-ish their disapproval lessened, though Mr. Baggins was sure that the grand gifts he gave on her birthday had eased the neighbors, not to mention his little one's soft smiles. However, mentally the sixteen year old was much more advanced than her counterparts and physically a lot slower in developing. Why, even though she was only slightly short for a Hobbit her age, her milk teeth had just started falling! Lobelia had the time of her life making snarky remarks as to how his little one seemed to be only eight like her favourite cousin Paladin._

Unfortunately, Bilbo recalled with a faint half smile, Lobelia and gossip were not actually the worst problem he had had to face, despite her constant nagging and sharp words to his darling daughter, his daughter was quite witty and knew exactly what to say to the woman, to seem polite and yet give back the woman as good as she got. Not that Tauriel often engaged in verbal battles with that hobbit lady, she often choose to ignore her existence. Oh no, the hardest task was the knowledge in itself that his daughter might always be out of place in his house, that soon she would be too tall for it and the task of raising an elf, because elf babes are so different to hobbits. Thank Eru for books.

Tauriel at first had been like any other hobbit child, eating and sleeping but then she had begun to walk, long before the crawling age of any hobbit and Bilbo had marveled. His girl was a fast learner. Before half of her first year with him was over, he would wake up not to cries but pounding feet running around the smial. She had become taller than any baby hobbit too, though that was to be expected; after all she was an elf, looking more like a child of men. Before her first year ended, she was rattling off words, from her favourite food to screaming the name of her best friend, their Gardner's boy Hamfast, or to be picked and twirled in the air. Yet, for Bilbo her biggest accomplishment was her first word. He still recalled that day, vague as the memory had become.

 _"How's my little elf today?" Bilbo had asked as he watched his daughter jump on the bed, probably another thing Hamfast had taught her in order to make her a proper fun loving Hobbit lass; which of course was fully improper; and Bilbo told her so, picking her up and twirling her around as he did so._

 _"Now, now, Asphodel, you know how improper it is to behave like your that! We Baggins do not behave like ruffians, jumping on beds and all darling." She had nodded and smiled up at me with those wide forest green eyes and squealed out a happy "Da." Needless to say he was so flabbergasted and happy, that everyone he met asked about his grin that day._

However, not everything with his baby had been so easy and happy, as she continued to be a marvel to him, why at just three years of age the babe could outwit, out run and even dace better than most of the ten year old hobbits, her unique red hair flying after her as she ran around the Shire. Some hobbit mothers tutted that it was not proper behavior for a lass to wear shoes but Bilbo knew his baby did not have the enduring feet of Hobbits and would need to wear those uncomfortable, nasty things should she so much as go in the woods. Usually, though, looking at Tauriel or Asphodel as the Shire knew her was no different from a standard hobbit girl. In the Shire she never needed to put on shoes nor did she grow any taller than a regular hobbit. Of course, Bilbo knew that in a few years, his lovely Smial would be too small for his baby but that happily was more than a decade away enough, enough time for repairs.

Looking at her now, playing with Hamfast and Paladin, one of her Took cousins and her friend Rose. Despite being mentally far more advanced than any of the others, Bilbo believed she was at least the mental age of a forty year old hobbit; she fit in well with the children, having no problem at all in casting of her adult mind to be a child, like she more often than not was. She loved to play and read and lived life to the fullest like any other child with her brain ever ready to get her out of a fix and he had a feeling she would always be like this, a child at heart. The four kids were in a corner of his garden, watching Hobson as he showed them how to plant tatters properly. Amazing food taters and his girl so loved them. More than she liked any sort of meat at least, but then Bilbo knew that was standard for elves. Tall height, pointed ears, keen eyes and lean muscles good for climbing trees and dancing around in a fight, tiring their opponents with quick and flexible flexes, he knew were the norm for elves but Tauriel avoided any form of alcohol, something quite unlike both hobbits and elves. He felt for the most part that he knew what had brought this continuous demand of alertness from her. Why, even now playing with the others, her eyes were open for any trouble. If she was this careful in the Shire, where she knew nothing wrong would happen, then he knew on the road she would be more paranoid than ever and as much as he hated the fact that she would go on the road, he knew at one point it might happen. Hobbits had accepted her, at least enough to ignore her oddities due to her perfect Hobbit manners and the amount of gifts she gave away on her birthday but he also knew once he was gone, his immortal child might have a harder time and any case, she might need to meet her kin at least once in her life, after all she could not spend forever wondering why she was different. Also, despite the fact he hated it, he knew in half a century or so he would have to depart from the world and while he did not have any lack of faith in her abilities to hold her own with both brains and muscles nor did he doubt the protective nature of his family, Bilbo still felt that there would be much opposition, especially from some of his _distant cousins_ when she inherited Bag End and he also knew from the fairy tales she liked to read, that despite knowing life is not a fairy tale, the easy life of the Shire and the longing for love in her heart or well accepted pain of losing a parent, might one day make her want to venture out and see the world. From the garden, she smiled at him before Paladin pointed at her feet and she smiled at him answering but Bilbo felt his eyes burn at the question unsaid, if she did not have hairy feet, then was she not a Hobbit? He knew, she knew the answer but Paladin did not and he wondered how often she faced innocent yet hurting attacks in her own home.

 _"Adar, why do I have no mamma like Hamfast does? Even Din has a Mother, only the heroes in fairy tales do not have Mothers and that is so rare. Am I a hero Da? Is that why I am different, why I learn faster? Why Lobelia still whispers around me? Why the hair on my feet has not arrived yet? Is that why I am tall?"_

 _Bilbo sighed, Tauriel had just turned five but mentally she could give any ten year old a run for their supper, yet he knew she was too young, only a babe after all. She had asked him such questions once before and he had just put off telling her she was special and that had sufficed, so what now had brought this on? Hamfast knew better than to ask, Bilbo though while pinching his nose and then pulling his hand away. Highly improper._

 _"Why do you ask this Tau? Did someone bother you?"_

 _"No Da, only I realize that I am special, all flaunts are, but their parents and other adults only get angry when we do something which we know we should not do, like stealing mushrooms, but Lobelia is always angry at me and I know you tell me not to listen to her, even if what she says is true, because being different is no wrong but unlike other hobbits I have no mamma and I wondered if she left like some flaunts told me today because I was bad? I know, I know, no true but..."_

 _Bilbo had interrupted before she could finish and what followed was a long conversation about elves, dwarves and hobbits, but Bilbo had a feeling that his little one had known her truth for a while from all fantasy reading and reading of history, she just wanted confirmation and those flaunts had made it seem like a nightmare to her to even entertain the fact that might not be a hobbit. In the end, however, Tauriel had decided with all the firmness of a ten year old that she was "heart hobbit and a body elf" or a "hobelf"._

Soon the entire Shire knew of Asphodel Baggins, especially after the birth of the now eight year old Paladin Took; who had taken an instant shine to his cousin and thus Tauriel so spent even more time with the Thain and the Took part of the family than before and everywhere she went, people referred to her as "Asphodel Baggins, Daughter of Bilbo Baggins of Bag End."

Her Took cousins though always called her Tauriel and only the Tooks, The Gamgees and Bilbo knew her soul name as they had dubbed Menthathiel and only the Shire knew that her honour name was Tauriel though most ignored it. Bilbo Baggins, no matter what, loved his life and his little girl, his little "hobelf" and wanted nothing to ever disturb it. He was after all, a Baggins of Bag End, despite how Tookish it had been for him to take in Tauriel, but that was the end of any unexpected behavior he would ever do.

"Adar?" a soft voice asked and Bilbo smiled, after he had calmed his heart and faked a glare at Asphodel.

"Yes, my Lily?"

"Adar, there is someone here to see you and they have standing over you for a good while," she said with a giggle before scurrying away, no doubt to read and eavesdrop at the same time, another skill Hamfast and her had cultivated together, not that I disapproved of it, it was not very Baggins but it did help a lot with certain unsavory hobbits.

"Good Morning!" said Bilbo, looking up at the tall Big Folk man with a pointed blue hat and grey robes, and he meant it. The sun was shining, and the grass was very green. However, the man looked at him from under long bushy eyebrows that stuck out further than the brim of his shady hat.

He leaned on a similarly coloured staff and peered at Bilbo through thick bushy eyebrows, as if trying to look straight into his soul, Tauriel noted, before the old man proceeded to speak and well if that wasn't a reply, she did not know what was.

"What do you mean?" he said. "Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?"

"All of them at once," said Bilbo. "And a very fine morning for a pipe of tobacco out of doors, into the bargain.

"Well, actually you see," Tauriel started meekly as she held her page in the page and made her way over to the duo, "it is a good morning, so we feel good on this particular morning, and we wish that you too find it good and the last part well, no morning is a morning to be good on unless you start it with some mischief in mind?" She added raising her eyebrows as the man himself looked surprise. He had noticed her when she had spoken before but now it just made him more surprised an elleth calling a hobbit her father? What had Bilbo Baggins been doing for the past twenty years? Hobson Gamgee's words entered his mind.

 _"Master Bilbo?" The gardener had looked up from the weeds he was pulling out and smiled at Gandalf._

 _"He is out at the moment, with the little lady."_

 _"Little lady?" the old wizard had asked frowning. If Bilbo had changed, well then, which other Hobbit was a Tookish Baggins?_

 _"Oh yes, his little girl, Asphodel Tauriel Baggins." The man sounded quite proud and Gandalf almost groaned, Bilbo had kids and a family and while that made him happy for his friend's son, now he would have to work to find another hobbit._

 _"He is married? He gave his daughter an elvish name?" the old wizard asked, just as he was about to leave and was delighted and shocked to see a shake of head. It was completely unlike a Baggins to have children out of wedlock._

 _"No, no, little lady Asphodel is adopted and of course, he gave her an elvish name, she is an elf, but," and here the gardener became threatening, almost un like hobbits, and added, "she is the sweetest little lady I have been around apart from my own of course and elf or not she is a hobbit at heart, so no pestering our lady Mister Old Man." After reassuring the man that he did not mean any harm to the Baggins and smiling, because now he felt Bilbo was the right man for the adventure and someone he felt that lady Tauriel would need to come too, Gandalf the Grey left the Shire for Thorin's Halls._

"Lady Tauriel I assume?"

"You assumption would be correct Master?"

"Gandalf, my dear lady, your father remembers my name though he forgets that I belong to it. I am Gandalf and Gandalf means me!" The Grey Wizard replied bending to smile at the young elf and the two hobbits who seemed to be hiding behind her legs, their faces alight with curiosity. One of the hobbits, however, stood next to her, glaring at the Grey Wizard.

"Gandalf? Not the wandering wizard who had such amazing fireworks! Not the one you used to upset thing terribly in these parts once upon a time taking lads and lasses on adventures? The one who gave my father's grandfather, Old Took, a pair of diamonds which never opened unless asked? How glad I am to know you are here! Have you any interesting adventures to tell of? Maybe about elves?" At the end the girl's curiosity became a little personal, how she wanted to know more about her kind, Bilbo and her family were kin; no one else.

"I am glad to know your father has told you something about me my lady. You seemed to have done him a lot of good."

"Nuncle Biwbo did not tell Lily much, Grandpa Took towd her," a small voice said from behind the elleth's legs, curious blue eyes taking in Gandalf's frame, even as the girl shifted to pull the flauntling beside her.

"Paladin, what did I tell you about baby voices around strangers?" she asked kindly, bending to look the dark haired child, a Took no doubt, in the eye.

"Sorry, Master Gandelf, Paladin Took, pweased to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine Master Took and Master?" the Grey Wizard asked looking at the other child that seemed to stand guard at the elleth's side.

"Hamfast Gamgee, Master Gandalf, please forgive my rudeness, please do not turn me into something unnatural, my old pa will be so hurt," the lad replied quickly with a thick Hobbit accent and the Wizard just smiled at him before telling the children that he had to speak with Bilbo alone.

"Gandalf! I had no idea you were still in business," Bilbo said after watching the three children fondly, Rose seemed to have gone home at the sight of the scary Big Folk man.

"Where else would I be Bilbo Baggins?" the wizard asked angrily but Bilbo just smiled at him. He had done nothing to earn the anger, after all, it had been twenty years since he had seen the old man and for all he knew the man could have died! Gandalf just stared at the hobbit and smiled, it seemed the girl had done him good, not only was he still the same hobbit who had hit him with a wooden sword, he had gained much of the Baggins sensibility without losing a lot of Took spirit. Yes, Bilbo Baggins and Tauriel would do quite nicely. Only, how would he explain the addition of an elleth to Oakenshield?

Bilbo's voice brought him out of his thoughts as he asked if he could help the wizard and Gandalf already having made up his mind answered, "Well, that remains to be seen, I would love for you and Tauriel to join me in adventure, it would do the two of you good, to see the world out of your books and it would be helpful to quite a few. Also the girl could see those elves, she is dying to meet."

"An adventure? No Gandalf, those are nasty things, makes one late for dinner and how can I knowingly expose Tauriel to such danger? I would love to help you but maybe another hobbit would be a better fit, I am a Baggins after all."

"Bilbo, what happened to the lad looking for elves in the woods?"

"He found one and now wants to keep her safe but Gandalf, you must come in and tell me more about this adventure of yours, because I know Tauriel would be really unhappy if I refuse to help someone, not to mention I, myself, won't be able to look her in the eye, but does she have to come?"

"Bilbo Baggins! How can you think to decide for her? As a parent, you can suggest, not impose!"

"I can take care of my girl Gandalf!" Bilbo retorted angrily before slumping, "I know she needs this chance, it's just that I am scared Gandalf, I am scared for her."

"Of course, you are my dear hobbit, but think; does she not deserve her chance to see those like her? Or are you afraid she will choose them over you? Bilbo, this venture will help an entire race of people regain a home, would you still refuse and what would you call someone who leaves their children to go on adventure? Even if they are left with family?"

"That would be reckless Gandalf and yet taking her would be dangerous too, but not helping people would be wrong as well. An adventure, Tauriel? Do you want to go one?" Bilbo asked resignedly.

"Adar, I heard it all, I am sorry and I would have spoken too you alert and Da, I will do what you want and yet I will fight for my dreams too Adar and I dream to see the world, read about it and write about it, write amazing tales and help people like those heroes of old, I wish to go down in history for being a good person but even if I cannot, I still want to help Da, please do not let this chance slip Da, please. I will not want to and probably give up half way but to worried, I might either drown my worry in books or just follow you in hiding. If this was somewhere dangerous where hobbits went and had a straight path and all and forms of you contacting me and a lot of probability of you returning alive like a dangerous trip, I would let you go but an adventure Da, I might just forget myself. "

Hearing the child, Gandalf smiled and knew his choice was indeed correct but before he could say much a squeak had him pulling another child out from behind a pot.

"Eavesdropping Hamfast?"

"There are no eaves in the Shire Master Wizard and please do not turn me into a toad, only the thought of Master Bilbo and Miss Tauriel leavening was too much Master , Master Bilbo help me!"

"Why, I have got the perfect punishment for you, if you cannot even leave them alone when I specifically told you to Master Gardener, you shall have to go with them!"

"Gandalf are you sure? He's just a flaunt," Bilbo stated but one look at the wizard and he backed down, sighing at the talk he would soon have to have with Hobson and his cousin the gardener.

"Well, now Bilbo Baggins, I shall see you at dinner tomorrow with all my companions, so be sure to be ready! Also I am marking your door to notify them." And before either hobbit or elleth could protest the wizard had scratched the door and was on his merry way, cheerfully whistling and ignoring Bilbo Baggins' angry squeaks at the condition of his door.

"Well, Da, it seems we have only a day and half to prepare, so we better start!" Tauriel said cheerfully, looking at what appeared to be a rune; something that she was vaguely interested in; and added, "also do not get that rune, dwarfish or elvish it is, painted over Da. You better go home with Da Ham and talk to your Ma and Da, while I ready three packs for us and go to the Smials to leave Pal."

With that the elleth turned to go back inside the house and picked up a now snoring Halfling from over the book he had been colouring in and yelled, "Also I can ask our worldy cousins if they have any tips to share Da!"

"You will not leave alone Asphodel Tauriel Baggins!' Bilbo said as he put his foot down.

"Wait here, you leave with Hamfast after I have spoken to his parents."

Knocking on the door, the two almost tweens followed Bilbo inside Number Three, Bagshot Row, and sat down for what Bilbo thought would be a long conversation but as always Tauriel helped.

"Mr and Mrs. Gamgee!" she said and hugged the two before Bilbo could start and soon they were talking over plates of tatters and chips, as Bilbo started, "Hobson, Jasmine, I want to talk to you, about well, about Hamfast here."

"Master Bilbo, has Hamfast done something wrong?" the frantic parents asked and Bilbo shook his head with a smile before it was replaced with a frown.

"No, no, he is a most wonderful child, just that, you see, today I got invited for, a venture," Bilbo did not dare say adventure but the meaning was clear enough by the shocked look on the faces of the Gamgee couple.

"On this venture, well, Tauriel will be with me and I would like Hamfast to come too, after all, his cousin Holman, has imparted his skills to Hamfast quite well and I feel he will be an addition on this journey and can always be counted on to keep my Lily safe, as she would always keep him safe," Bilbo said softly and the parents looked distressed. On one hand, they worked for the Baggins, even if Hobson did not do so directly but to let their child go on such a venture, no hobbit parent would allow that. Seeing this Tauriel jumped in, throwing an apologetic looks at her father. After all, she would never in danger her best friend, despite how much she wanted him to be there in her adventure, and she knew adventures were dangerous. Also, the Gamgees always had been kind to her and she did not want to throw that away.

"Mr and Mrs. Gamgee," she said softly, "if you do not want Ham to come, it's okay, we will not force you but this is his chance to see the world before he settles down and well know he is a mature child and while I cannot guarantee his safety, I can swear that I will protect him with all I have and everyone knows, the bounders want me to be a part of them. Mr and Mrs. Gamgee, you have to understand, the world is huge and seeing it will be help us grow, I get it you are scared but please, please, give us this one chance." The sincerity in her eyes and voice broke the ice in the eyes of her elders and everyone knew that she was the best shot in the Shire and there was just something there that made the older Gamgees agree to all she said, despite the heart ache they felt, they knew their son would return and that his duty lay with his Mater Bilbo and Miss Tauriel. Also, being hobbits, they were detached from the dangers of the world and seeing their son follow Miss Asphodel to all ends of the Shire over the past ten years had somehow hardened them to this.

"Well, we agree but what adventure is this exactly?"

"Gandalf says that we are to help some people and see elves!" Hamfast replied eagerly followed by a declaration that it was time to go to the Tooks and soon the matter was settles. Bilbo and Tauriel Baggins along with Hamfast Gamgee were going on an adventure!

"Master Bilbo, we will not ask more," Jasmine began, "but soon as you know, can you please tell us the quest?"

"Sure, Mrs. Gamgee, sure!" Bilbo answered, as he waved to the three chattering children in the cart on their way to the Thain's house.

As the sun set, Tauriel could hear the shouts of her Took cousins coming closer and the three Hobbits jumped off the cart, thanking the man for driving them here and asking him to wait, before picking up Paladin and taking him home. Tauriel sighed; she had a long day ahead of her.

After explaining everything to her Took family, she glared at thee disapproving and worried looks before smiling and then they helped her prepare for the journey. A few books, she insisted on having despite protests, followed by necessities such as hair ties, female products, small knives hidden in boots, a dagger up her sleeve, packs full of dried food and medicine and some money, food and medicines weaved in her clothes. She prepared for everything she had read in her fairy tales that the heroes carried, dividing it into four packs before mournfully agreeing with her cousins, they could do something about her monthlies on such short notice. Now ham and her were outside with her bounder teachers, she had always wanted to learn archery and knife throwing, most of what she knew was from reading but once he noticed her interest the Thain had asked the bounders to teacher after some persuasions, after all she just wanted the knowledge; the idea of being a bounder was not something she cherished; because she felt that having someone in charge would restrain her, she wanted to know how to be a warrior and only have to resort to it at dire need. After all, she was still seen as a child in both hobbit and elven cultures.

A small rough bow was in her hand as she aimed and hit a clumsy bull's eye.

Smiling at where Ham was learning the basic of using a small knife, she lost herself in archery before the two hugged Paladin and left for Hobbition just before the sun rose; they had spent all night preparing and Tauriel had read for a good while; not knowing what awaited them.

Holding their packs and weapons along with two walking sticks, the two stopped at a pub for elevnsees, and that is when the trouble started; Tauriel had wanted to skip the meal, not liking to eat much; but she knew that today might be the last she saw of full meals and thus dug in when she heard gruff voices nearby, the voices of men probably traveling from Bree.

"Look at that pretty Hobbit lass," one of them said and she began to shove food faster in her mouth, determined to ignore it while Ham tensed.

"That is no hobbit lass!"

"But she sure is a pretty little thing," the first ne said inching closer and Tauriel grasped at her dagger, before attempting to be polite.

'Good morning."

"Good morning lass," the man said in a gruff voice which made Hamfast throw some coins, collect their food and leave. Tauriel understanding his thoughts hurried to walk faster but the men kept following until finally the two thought they had lost the men, only to come face to face with two them lecherous grins on their faces. Turning back, Tauriel eyes grew as she saw all paths blocked, two men behind as well, one burly one on each side. They were surrounded.

She knew she could climb a tree of maybe run past them but that was highly unlike and so she held up her bow in defiance and stood with Ham, back to back.

"What do you want good sirs?" she asked.

"Why lass, we have had a terrible journey and hope to impart some sense of how terrible it was to you," one of the men said laughing at her as she readied her arrow.

"Well, good sir, you know, all have bad lives but making someone else's worse won't make yours better, maybe for a while you will feel like you gained the upper hand but ultimately you will feel brought to the same level as those who hurt you," she said with conviction and sympathy, an apology in her eyes but the men did not heed it as their eyes grew bolder and one hand reached close enough to touch her face.

"Stop!" Tauriel said in a deadly but unsteady whisper as she backed away, "stop or I will shoot! Stay away from me!"

"The lass will shoot, with such little distance," one of the brutes laughed getting a bit too close and she pulled out her arrow from the string, swiftly stabbing it in his thigh, before then lifting her knee to every cornered female's instinctive response. Her short height both hindered and helped her as Ham and her tried to fit off the six burly men. Her bow discarded, she now had her daggers out, looking for any opening to hit, her red hair flying behind as she spun gracefully, ducking and avoiding the men's grip as well as their weapons while Ham held one off with his tiny sword. It was all going well, until four men surrounded her and Ham found himself unable to help as he fought two opponents. Filled with a righteous fury, Hamfast began to kick and parry blows with his sword, lifting his pack and swinging his over his head to land in the brutes stomach, knocking the wind out of him, as he got near Tauriel, intent on protecting her.

Tauriel was jumping about trying to tire the men but they proved resilient and her merge skills were soon no match for theirs as one hit her on the back with a heavy object just as she threw her daggers in the direction of thee last man, who was fighting Hamfast. Aim somehow true, the elleth wobbled, head filled with pain as she landed on her knees, blindly reaching out and picking the first thing her hands landed on, a frying pan. She swung the pan as hard as could on one of her attackers, hitting his knees hard enough for him to fall, but did not have much strength left to fend off the remaining three. The two children stood weapons in hand ready to take another wing when suddenly, hearing their continuous screams, Tauriel had kept up thinking there had to be some traveler who needed to get home early and was in hearing distance, two dwarves charged into the clearing; the sun glinting off the golden haired one, weapons out and ready as arrows whizzed and hit one of her opponents. Pulling out her last dagger, she threw it with deadly precision behind her as another of the men tried to attack from behind and then swung her pan while the dwarves joined the fight and she slumped down, crawling to a nearby tree trying hard to fight the dizziness.

Soon all six men were down and the two dwarves made their way over to where the hobbit lad was standing unsteadily in front of the almost unconscious girl.

The brothers approached slowly, so as to not frighten the two hobbits, which were even smaller than the ones they seen on their slow journey through the shire; though not much smaller; the darker brother noted as he looked at the girl. To say, he was impressed, would be wrong, when the brothers had heard screaming they had run in thinking someone was being attacked but never had he expected to see a woman wield a frying pan and a throwing dagger with such precision. Of course, as soon as they had arrived both the hobbits had given in to their exhaustion but the small glimpse of the girl he had caught was enough to render the archer dwarf speechless, despite coming from a race where some women knew how to wield weapons. Clear as it was that the two had had no formal training, and that they were exhausted, he could see their skill in the men that lay groaning around them before the two dwarves had taken care of them. Seeing the way, the boy pushed the girl behind him, not only to hide her from view but as if he felt that the coming males had some special ill will towards her, made the brothers' blood boil. Now it was more than clear why the tussle on the road was happening and the two wanted nothing more than to render the unconscious men unable to ever have kids at the thought of someone harming a female, let alone someone so tiny but they knew getting the hobbits to safety was a priority.

"What do you want?" the boy asked, trying to sound brave.

"We do not want to hurt you Master Hobbit, we only offer aid to your companion and you," Fíli replied softy and the girl hobbit said something softly, causing the hobbit to move aside, but keep his stiff stance. Looking at girl and her missing front teeth as she attempted a smile, teeth that were not lost due to battle but due to age, Kíli almost growled, how dare they even think of hurting a child like that!

Bending to the lass's eye level, Kíli spoke urgently, asking if she was alright to which the girl smiled and replied, though never letting go of her frying pan, that she was okay and just wanted to get home.

"Where are you two headed to?" Fíli asked the boy as his brother helped the girl up, almost carrying her.

"We are headed to Bag End, the home of Bilbo Baggins, in Hobbition," the boy replied shocking the two dwarves.

"Well, we are headed there too, so would you like to accompany us?" Kíli asked but frowned when the two stiffened.

"How do you know Da?" the girl asked looking at him, trying to get out of his grip. Loosening his hold on her, to let her be more comfortable, Kíli replied, "The Grey Wizard told us to meet there to discuss a matter of importance and said a rune would guide us."

Seeing the sincerity in his eyes and knowing that the rune could be popular knowledge, Tauriel relaxed slightly and nodded as Hamfast who began to pick up their belongings, but the blonde dwarf took all the packs from him, even as the dark haired one pulled out their weapons from the unconscious bodies of the men, at least she hoped they were just unconscious, and handed them to Ham and her before picking up her bow and putting it beside his on his shoulder.

"Well, now that we have a day's travel ahead of us, why don't we make introductions?" Tauriel wheezed out to get the awkwardness out of the way.

"Kíli," the dark haired dwarf started.

"And Fíli," the blonde added, before both the brothers bowed simultaneously, though Kíli's bow was much less graceful due to her, saying "at your service."

"Asphodel Tauriel Baggins at yours," she replied with a slight inclination of her head and before the questions could come, she passed out in the dwarf, no Kíli's, arms.

A/N- This chapter turned out to be quite different from what I had thought, for example the fight scene was totally not there and Kili was to first meet our lovely elleth at Bag End but... Please review. Also, though Tauriel's childhood in the Shire will keep coming out in the next chapters, if readers want I can start a companion piece of Tauriel's childhood, though that will be a slow update. Also, I tried hard to balance instinct, skill, experience and training in Tauriel's fight and keep the spark that Kili loved about her fighting skills.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N - Have not abandoned the story. The next update will most likely be after I am either done with NEWTS or settled in college. Sorry for the long wait. I will try to be more regular in my updates. Do leave a review on what you think should happen in the story next.


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